Process of extracting metals from ores.



Lleee,

Patented Oat. 12, A1915.

NITED STA t L i@ PAE ai ROBERT S. TOWN, OF NEW YORK. AND CYRUS ROBNSON, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, SSIGNORS TO METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING L PROCESS CCRPGETION, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ete-t2, 191m Application ed July 14, 1910, Serial No. 572.0251. Renewed March S, 1915. Serial No. 12,913.

To ZZ urli/0m it 71mg/ Concern 3e it known that we, Romain' S. '.lowsn, a citizen ot the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York. and (,YiiUs RoinNsoN. a subject of the King` of Great Britain and Ireland, residingr at Mount Vernon, in the county ot Vtlestcliester and State 0I" New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Proeesses of llxtractingI Metals trom 'lheir (hes. of which the following is a specification.

reference being had therein to the aceonr,

panying drawing.

Our invention relates to the, extraction ot soluble metal values from ores. devised what may be regarded as a multiple cycle process t'or the extraction ot' such values, the several` cycles being successive in order and to a certain extent independent ot each other. The separate cycles are, however, very closely related, not only on aecountJ oic the passage ot the ore to be treated trom one cycle to another, but also on account ot the movement ot' the solutions. which are used, trom one cycle to another to maintain a proper distribution, as will be liereinajlter more. `fully set forth.

tne dt'the objects ot the invertion is to eti'ect the extraction oft the ore much more rapidly than has heen possible hy any prochercto't'ore followed and known to us.

Another object is to etllect the extraction ot' theI maximum amount ot the metallic value with the iniiiiiiiuui loss ot value in the,

tailings.

A still further object is to provide a continuous process in which the unused solutions at the end ol the series ot steps may be returned and re-used without destroying` the continuity ot the process.

Other objects are effected and attained and these will be readily understood trom they following description.

ln the accoiiipanyiirg` drawing. there is shown diagraminatically an ai'iparatus hy means of which our improved process may be Carried out.

On the drawing, we have noted for purposes ot illustration the quantities ot ore, solvent and metal which are present at the various stages of the process, it being' assumed that a silver ore is under treatment` by the eyanid process. It is also assumed that there are 180 grams of sliver per ton We have ot' ore and that 300 grains of cyanici are required to extract the, 180 grains oit silver from each ton. lt is to be reniei'nbered.y 'ot course, that the tigures which are presented are used merely by wa),v of illustration and that very wide variations are possible from the quantities given, such variations being dependent not only7 on the metal which is beingh extracted, but also on the quantity per ton and on the character of the ore.

ReferringY to the drawing, fi. indicates a tube mill or other preferred 't'oiin et reducL ine; apparatus. To this inill vsolvent is supplied. in the example used i000 kilograms ot solution containing 500 grains of cyanid being used tor each 1000 kilogran'is of ore. From the tube mill the mixed ore and solution is passed to the receptacle R. .lt

assumed that inthe inili and duringv the passage to the receptacle PS. 120 Y* uns ot eyanid are used to extract G0 grains ot silver. rl`he receptacle l therefore receives troni It 1000 kilograms ot ore. 1000 kilograms ot solution. 330 `rrains ot eyanid and 00 lri-anis of silver. 'There is also supplied to the receptacle P tor each unit quantity of ore and solvent, as above set toi-th. 1000 kilograms ot solution containing` 500 A,ri'aiiis ot cyanid. rThe receptacle l is iliroviviei. with means t'or relatively rapidly or violently agitatiiig` th mixediere and solvent. So tar as our present invention is concerned. this agitator maf),v be ot any desired toi-in. and may he oft the type in which a tank is lilled with the mix ture and then emptied at the end otl the pe riod ot' agitation. le prefer, however. to

use a continuous process agitator in which the material constantly supplied at one end and discharged at' the other. the ae'l'itator beinfl so designed that a sutliciently long time will be required tor material to pass from the intake end to the discharge end.

'llie agitation in P is quite active and the material is subjected to it in the example vto a measure distinct, and that the only tree solution that flows troml one to the other is that necessary to ott'set the amount carried with the dehydrated ore. ln this/ way, only asmall part ol the strong sollition ol'l the tirst cycle is mixed with the weaker solution ot the second cycle. and only a small proportion ot' the solution ofthe second cycle is mixed with the very weak solution ot the third cycle.

llle desire to again emphasize the 'tact that the quantities and proportions which have, been indicated in the drawings and used in the foregoing' description have merely been selected as illustrations of the way in which the balance is maintained between the various parts ot an apparatus used for carrying outI our process. For any' definite ore, however, the quantities of solvents, cyanid, and values at the various points can be accuratelydetermined by calculation and experiment and lwhen once determined can be mainta ined constant.

From the foregoing description, it will be clear that our improved process can he carried out continuously, it being possible and, in fact, preferable, ior the ore that is subjected to treatment to pass continuously -from the set of mechanical parts employed for carrying out one of the cycles to the set ot mechanical parts employed for carrying out the succeeding cycle. The advantages incident to the continuous carrying out ot the process will be readily apparent. 'l`he quantitj.' and strength of the solutions at various points can be accurately regulated in accordance with thenuantity and value ot the ore, and the. various quantities andl strengths, once being determined, can remain tixed. ln t'act, it is j'iossilole to maintain the whole system in equilil'irium by adding at 7'. the proper quantity ot fresh liquid and fresh solvent, and this is made possible by the continuitv7 ot' the several steps of the process.

7e do not herein claim as part of our' present invention the particular arrangement of mechanical devices which we have diagrammatically illustrated. rThis, or a similar arrangement ot' devices, is shown .and claimed' in' our co-pending application .for apparatus'ror extracting metals trom ores Serial No.V 604,176, filed January 24,

lVhat we. claim is lv. The herein described process i'or effecting the separation ot' soluble values from a, nass, it consisting in subjecting the mass to the action of a solventsolution oi comparatively high dissolving etliciency for a comparatively short period ot time, positiyely and actively agitat-mg the mass and 4the solution during the ysaid period, subjecting the mass to a. positive `and active dehydration, thereby withdrawing from it a major portion ot tue solution together with the dissolved values contained therein. subjeeting the ren'rainingmass to th action ot a similar solvent. solution oi comparatively low dissolving etiieiency for a comparatively long period oil time, positively and `actively agitating the mass and the solution during the said period, subjecting the mass to a second positive and active dehydration thereby withdrawing trom it a major portion. ot' the second solution together with the dissolved values contained therein, and extracting the dissolved values trom each ot' the said withdrawn solutions independently 'ot the other.

2. The herein described process for eitecting the separation oi soluble values from a mass, which consists in subjecting the mass to the. action ot a solvent solution oi" comparatively high dissolving' etiiciency for a` comparatively short period of' time, positively and active y agitating the mass and the solution during the said period, subjecting the mass toa dehydrating action thereby withdrawing from it a. major portion of the solution together with the dissolved values contained therein, subjecting the remaining mass to the actionof a similar solvent sollition of comparatively low dissolving etliciency for a comparatively long period ot' time, positively and activelv aefitatin'g the mass and the solution during the said period,l

subjecting the mass to ay second dehydrating act-ion thereby withdrawing' from it a major port-ion ot the second solution together with the dissolved values contained therein, extracting the dissolved values from each ot' thesaid solutionsindependently ot the other` and returning each of the said solutions to its initial point ot action.

El. The herein described process tor etliecting the separation of metal 'trom 'anV ore. mass', which consists in subjecting the mass for a comparatively short period of time to the act-ion of a solvent solution adapted to` dissolve the desired metal and having a rela.- tively high dissolving etliciency, .relatively violently agitating. the ore mass and the solution Iduring the said period, subjecting the mass to a dehydrating action thereby separating from it all but a small portion ot the solution together with the dissolved metal contained therein, mixing with the, mass and the unseparated solution a second solvent sol ation of relatively low dissolving etiiciency, agitating the resultant mixture relatively less violently for a comlmratively long period ot time, and subjecting the mass to a second dehydrating action thereby again separating from it all, lout a` `small portion of the solution together with the dissolved metal contained therein.

4. The herein described process of separating metallic values Afrom ancre mass, which consists 1n supplying to a; receptacle ing from each succeeding path to eachpref` ceding path an amount of liquid equivalent to that carried from each preceding path to -each succeeding path With lthe said ore.

12. The herein described process for the` extraction, of metallic values from ore,Y

Which consists in causing a plurality of bodies of solvent solution adapted to dissolve the desired values to pass Varound a lcorresponding plurality of endless paths,

causing a body of ore to move to be'successively engaged by the bodiesof solutions in the said paths, Withdrawing'from each of the said bodies of solution the values dissolved from the ore, returning from each succeeding path'to each preceding path an amount of liquid`equivalent to that carried by the ore fromk each` preceding path to each succeeding path, and supplying to the last path an amount of liquid equivalent to that discharged from the said last path with the ore.

13. The herein described process for the extraction of metallic values from ore,

which consists in causing a plurality of bodies of solvent solution adapted to dissolve the desired values to pass around a corresponding plurality of endless paths,

causing a bodyot ore to move to be suc` cessively engaged by--the bodies of solutionin the said paths, extracting from the solution in each of the said paths the values dissolved from the ore, returning to each preceding path from each succeeding path an amount 0I" liquid equivalent to that carried by the ore from each succeeding path to each preceding path, supplying to the last path an amount of liquid equivalent to that discharged from it With the ore, and adding to the solution in the irst path anamount of solvent equivalent to that used in the process of 'dissolving in the various paths and to that'discharged with the ore from the last path.

14. The herein described process for the eXtraction 'of metallic values from ore, which consists in causing a plurality of bodies of solvent solution adapted to dissolve the desired values to continually pass around a corresponding plurality of endless paths, in causing Tore to move to be successively engaged by fthe bodies of solution in the said paths, (extracting from the solvent solution in` each of the said paths the dissolved values, supplying to the body ot solvent solution `in each of the said paths an amount of free liquid equivalent to that `retained by the orel and thereby withdrawn from, the said path, and supplying solvent to the lirst body of solution to maintain the strength thereof, solvent being supplied to each of the succeeding bod-ies of solution from the next preceding body by the solution which is carried with the ore from the preceding to the succeeding body. l

15. 'lhe herein described process for the lextraction of metallic values from ore,

which consists in causing a plurality of bodies oi' solvent solution, adapted to dissolve the desired values, tol pas'searound a corresponding plurality of endless paths,

causing a bodyY of ore to move, to be successively engaged by the bodies of solutions in the said paths, extracting from the solutionl in each of the said paths the values dissolved from the ore and adding to the solution in the first path an amount of liquid equivalent to that carried by the ore from the first path to the second, the amount of liquid carried by the ore from each of the other paths being counter-balancedby the amount vof liquid carried by the ore to the said paths.

In testimony whereof, we have respec tively attached our signatures each in the presence of two witnesses. f

ROBERT S. TOVNF.

. CYRUS ROBINSON. Witnesses:

W. T. GLLLESBY,

H. R. WINTERBOTTOM. 

